


Waiting Around for You

by atlanticslide



Series: A Series of Firsts [1]
Category: Hit the Floor (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-26
Updated: 2015-04-26
Packaged: 2018-03-25 22:23:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3827137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atlanticslide/pseuds/atlanticslide
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How did Zero end up with a key to Jude's apartment?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Waiting Around for You

**Author's Note:**

> Missing scene, takes place somewhere between the end of 2x09 and the end of 2x10.

“I’m taking your apartment key,” Zero says, bypassing any sort of normal greeting, as soon as Jude answers his phone.

“Excuse me?”

“The spare one, I mean. Just borrowing it - I’m making a copy.”

“You’re - wait, how’d you know where I keep the spare key?” Jude pushes back from his desk, takes a quick glance around to see if anyone else in the office is close enough to hear him.

Zero laughs at that, light and airy, and Jude can picture the smile he’s got to be wearing right now. 

“Really, Jude? Under the flower pot by the front door? Yeah, that was a real tough one to crack.”

“Yeah, okay,” Jude rolls his eyes. “Why’re you taking it?”

“I told you, I’m making a copy - shit!” There’s a squeal of tires against concrete in the background behind Zero’s voice.

“You okay?” Jude asks, trying not to sound worried as he sits up a little straighter in his chair.

“Fine,” Zero grumbles. “Asshole cut me off.”

“I’m sure he didn’t realize who you were,” Jude says, deadpan, which makes Zero laugh. That, in turn, makes Jude’s stomach flip.

“‘Course not - ‘cause if he did, he’d’ve been a fuck of a lot more _careful_ \- ” yelling now, probably out the window of his Porsche at the other driver - “when rolling up next to this town’s next _MVP_!” 

“You know you’re not supposed to be talking on the phone while driving anyway, right?” 

“Pff,” Zero scoffs in response. 

“Just don’t kill yourself, please.” 

“You know you worry too much?” 

“So I’ve been told once or twice.” Jude leans back in his chair again, stretches his legs out in front of him and runs a hand through his hair. He’s got work he should probably get back to and there’s an email that’s just popped up in his inbox from Oscar that he’s struggling not to rush to open. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“I did, aren’t you listening? I’m making - ”

“Making a copy, I know, what I mean is _why_?” 

“‘Cause I wanna invite TMZ over to film my next hooker hookup - ” Jude stifles a laugh at _hooker hookup_ \- “and your place has better lighting than mine.” Zero’s voice always gets a little lower, a little darker when he’s trying to be sarcastic. Jude would roll his eyes, but at this point Zero’s annoyance tends to just make him laugh.

“I hate waiting around for you outside your place, why do you think?” Zero continues. 

“We could just meet up at a scheduled time, like normal people.” Strangely, this is the most they’ve actually talked about this… whatever is going on between them. New aspect to their relationship, is maybe the most diplomatic way to put it. 

“Yeeeah,” Zero says, stretching the word out so it’s pretty clear he’s not actually agreeing. “But then I’d have to wait around _my_ place.”

“So?”

“I like your place better than mine. You’ve always got food in the fridge, and your couch is comfier.” 

“Do you even actually _have_ a couch?” Jude’s never seen Zero’s apartment. It’s hard to imagine the guy actually _living_ somewhere, despite how easily Zero makes himself at home whenever he’s at Jude’s place. 

“Sort of. I’ve got one of those small ones, what d’you call ‘em?” 

“A loveseat?” 

“Loveseat, right, I got one of those, but it’s always covered with clothes in between days the cleaning lady comes over.” He stops speaking and huffs, sighs, “Fucking traffic, man. You know, this is the one thing about coming to L.A. Never had to deal with this shit in Ohio.”

“That’s ‘cause there’s no one _in_ Ohio.”

Zero laughs a little. Jude’s stomach does that flip again. “Why d’you think I wanted to come here?”

Jude shakes his head, smiles, taps his pen on the desk and glances over at his computer to see another email from Oscar’s appeared. He shuts his laptop quickly, before he can get distracted from Zero by reading them.

“Anyway, there’s still some reporters keep lingering around outside my building,” Zero goes on, back to the original conversation. “Rather avoid them when I can.”

“They’ll get bored with the story eventually,” Jude reassures him. “Something else’ll come along soon enough, some other scandal that everyone will turn their attention to.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Zero grumbles, heard it all already a dozen times.

“Of course, there are things we could do to speed that up…” 

Zero’s heard this before too, so Jude isn’t surprised when Zero snaps, “Forget it. I’m not starting some fucking charity for hookers.” 

“Sex workers,” Jude corrects, still trying vainly to talk him into it. 

“Whatever. They were grown ass women, they had just as good a time as I did that night. They just got some cash at the end of it. And that’s another thing!” Zero’s off on a rant now. “They get paid pretty good money, what do hookers need their own charity for?”

“Sex workers,” Jude says again, but he doesn’t feel like having this argument again, so he switches gears. “Don’t you have practice today?” 

“Weight room this morning. Shoot around at two.”

Jude glances at his watch. It’s almost 1:30. “You gonna make it on time?” 

“Yeah, yeah, _dad_ , I’ll be fine.”

“Don’t call me that.

Zero ignores him. “They can’t get things started without me anyway.”

“Zero, now is not the time to be testing the waters with Davenport or the other guys.”

“It’s _fine_ , Jude, I’m pulling up to the hardware store to get the key copied now.” Jude can hear the car door slam shut after Zero’s stepped out of it. “Shoot around ends at 4. I’ll probably hit the weight room again for an hour afterwards.”

Jude doesn’t ask why Zero’s telling him this; it’s as close to scheduling a date as they’ll probably ever come, and he tries not to think too hard about Zero sweaty and shirtless and pressing weights before meeting up with him later. 

“Don’t stay at work too late,” Zero continues. “I want you in the shower as soon as I get to your place.”

And with that, he hangs up, without giving Jude a chance to swallow past the rush of desire and say something in response. He’s probably smiling smugly, knowing Jude’s mouth has gone dry and his dick hard - or at least, harder than it should be while sitting at his desk in the middle of the work day - as Jude immediately gets an image of Zero pushing him up against the tiles of the shower wall, mouth on Jude’s neck and hands on his hips and… 

And Jude has to blow out a long breath and run his hands through his hair, turn back to his desk and open up his laptop, trying to push Zero out of his mind. 

One glance at the emails from Oscar - three of them now - waiting unopened for him in his inbox is enough to kill any semblance of a hardon. 

But knowing that Zero will probably be waiting for him at home when he’s done with work later - when they’re _both_ done with their work for the day - is a nice little thought to keep in the back of his mind as he checks to see what it is his father wants from him this time.


End file.
